Here is how Barça will begin their preparation for the 2019/20 season
Ernesto Valverde will have 18 players from the first team squad available to him from the first day of preseason
FC Barcelona will begin their preparations for the 2019/20 season on Sunday 14th July at the Ciudad Deportiva Joan Gamper. Ernesto Valverde won't have the entire first-team squad to work with on that day, for varying reasons, but he'll have the majority of players at his disposal.
With the transfer market open until the 16th August, Valverde has already announced his priorities for the summer. He wants the club to move on the players who he doesn't intend to use next year.
TWO NEW ARRIVALS
There will be two new faces at Barça: Frenkie De Jong and Roberto Murara 'Neto'. The midfielder is expected to have a key role in the squad next season whereas Neto will offer competition to Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The door is open for Griezmann and Neymar to join, but question marks still hang over the futures of Coutinho, Malcom and Rafinha).
FIVE ON HOLIDAY AND ONE SPECIAL EXCEPTION
Leo Messi, Luis Suárez, Philippe Coutinho, Arthur Melo and Arturo Vidal were invovled in the Copa America 2019 and will join the group later on. All of those are expected to be available for the Trofeo Joan Gamper match against Arsenal and later the US tour.
Another person who won't be there is Moussa Wagué as he's currently involved in the African Cup of Nations with Senegal.
THE REST WILL RETURN TO WORK
At first, and remembering that the squad will be filled out by Barça B players, Valverde will have 18 players available on his first day: De Jong, Neto, Ter Stegen, Piqué, Jordi Alba, Lenglet, Umtiti, Nelson Semedo, Todibo, Sergi Roberto, Malcom, Busquets, Rakitic, Aleñá, Rafinha, Dembélé and Iñaki Peña.
After the medical tests on Sunday the 14th, the squad will have a double training session on Monday 15th.
BARÇA's schedule
Here are the key dates for Barça's 2019/20 preseason:
- 14/07/2019 · First training session for the squad
- 23/07/2019 · Tokyo (Japan) · FC Barcelona - Chelsea
- 27/07/2019 · Kobe (Japan) · Vissel - FC Barcelona
- 04/08/2019 · Camp Nou · FC Barcelona - Arsenal
- 07/08/2019 · Miami (USA.) · Napoles - FC Barcelona
- 10/08/2019 · Michigan (USA) · FC Barcelona - Napoli
- 16/08/2019 · LaLiga debut · Athletic Club - FC Barcelona
